Supreme business win on immigration

June 25 - The U.S. Supreme Court came down hard on Arizona's tough immigration law, making it clear the issue is a federal one, and giving businesses a sigh of relief. Bobbi Rebell reports.

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Businesses can now breathe a sigh of relief now that the Supreme Court has essentially gutted Arizona's tough immigration law.
The ruling effectively puts immigration squarely back into the federal government's court.
Decision Economics Cary Leahey:
SOUNDBITE: CARY LEAHEY, SENIOR U.S. AND GLOBAL ECONOMIST, DECISION ECONOMICS (ENGLISH) SAYING:
"That's the big plus is they don't have to worry about having a sort of a state by state liaison which would increase their costs of just dealing with the work force."
It also gives a level of comfort to foreign businesses and investors that might have been hesitant when it comes to doing business here.
Boston University Law Professor Susan Akram:
SOUNDBITE: SUSAN AKRAM, PROFESSOR, BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW (ENGLISH) SAYING:
"Foreign investors want to have uniformity of laws of employment laws in particular so for them to have to figure out among the 50 contiguous states a different employment authorization requirement is again a nightmare. So I think it's very good both for international investment and for national business."
More liberal immigration policies are also good for the economy in general, according to Leahey:
SOUNDBITE: CARY LEAHEY, SENIOR US AND GLOBAL ECONOMIST, DECISION ECONOMICS (ENGLISH) SAYING:
"Economies benefit from a wide-open immigration because you bring in people that you want. Someone that is willing to go to the trouble to come to a new country and make a new life is generally the kind of person that you want in your country because they are showing you know a lot of grit initiative and hard work."
Of note: The provision that has attracted many protests- requiring police checks for immigration status- was upheld.
Bobbi Rebell, Reuters.

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